Cheap Onions??

[TanksHill]

My local store has brown onions at 6 lbs for 96 cents. I just can't pass this up. I am going to go buy a box full how should I store them??? How long do you think they will last in the pantry? That will determine how many I buy.

gina

 

[Wifezilla]

My answer would be "as much as you can afford" because French Onion Soup freezes very well

I also think freemotion has an onion wine recipe too

 

[freemotion]

Yep, sure do! They should keep well in a cool, dry, dark place. You can also dehydrate some and chop and freeze some for quick cooking later in a recipe when you are in a hurry. Just go through them every so often checking for soft ones. If they aren't keeping well, you can quickly process them. I'd get a bunch at that price if they are in good condition.

 

[patandchickens]

At that price I'd sit down and figure how much freezer space I had, and how much pickled onion rings I wanted to eat, and then get crackin'

As far as normal storage, it depends TOTALLY on the particular onions. In good condition, good 'plain yeller cookin' onions' can store well for five months or more. If they are already getting sprouty or have suspicious spots, though, (ie. have ALREADY been stored a long time), I would suggest not buying too much beyond what you will freeze/can/dehydrate. Although the %ge savings over normal-priced onions is decent, the *absolute* $ amount is small and there is no point in filling a closet with six bags of rotting onions (which make really one of THE most revolting smells a kitchen can possibly have, IMHO)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat, who considers onions to be the sixth basic food group and can't cook without them

 

[kimnkell]

What about canning them? I thought about dicing some up to put in soups and stews or to use on pizza's too and canning them but I have never done it. Has anyone else ever canned them like this before?

 

[dragonlaurel]

Dicing them in a processor, then freezing them is very common. Dehydrating them is good too but you might want to move the machine to the porch for it, to avoid tears.
Not sure how you would can them. Do you want the french fried onions- like on casseroles or what?

 

[journey11]

Oooh, that IS a deal! I've been lucky to find them at 3lb for a $1. (Which is why I grew my own this year--we use a LOT of onions.)

Onions are easier to store than most things, since they don't require it to be particularly cold or humid. You want to hang them in small bunches in their webbed sacks, give them plenty of airflow in a cool/room temp. area that is in a very DRY out of the way place. I hang mine under the stairwell in my basement (my basement is very dry for a basement though and not suitable for storing much else in the way of produce.) Don't store them anywhere near potatoes or apples, they'll spoil.

If they don't look like they're going to be good keepers, which might have something to do with why they are on sale, then I'd chop them up to dehydrate or freeze.

 

[farmerlor]

Slice 'em, put them in a roaster with a little chicken stock and roast until they're pretty golden brown. Can them in half pints and use for EVERYTHING. They are wondrous just out of the jar for topping hamburgers, throw them in meatloaf, put them in soups, stews, casseroles, omelets, spaghetti sauce.......
At that price I'd buy a hundred pounds and can through the tears.

 

[kimnkell]

Slice 'em, put them in a roaster with a little chicken stock and roast until they're pretty golden brown. Can them in half pints and use for EVERYTHING. They are wondrous just out of the jar for topping hamburgers, throw them in meatloaf, put them in soups, stews, casseroles, omelets, spaghetti sauce.......
At that price I'd buy a hundred pounds and can through the tears.

Wow, that's a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

 

[patandchickens]

What about canning them? I thought about dicing some up to put in soups and stews or to use on pizza's too and canning them but I have never done it. Has anyone else ever canned them like this before?

Best way I know of canning them is as onion relish. Obviously you can use it as hamburger relish but can also mix it into things you're cooking as well (super-quick tasty meal: mix some reheated frozen corn, some reheated frozen grilled chicken cut small, and some onion relish. Elapsed time about 5 minutes of microwaving, VERY yummy )

Pat